Kagome's Loneness
by Dante Gemini
Summary: A completed story of great mystery and suspenseful adventure. Kagome is missing and Lady Kaede has been murdered. An alliance is established, thus venturing out in search for Kagome and the culprit, but finding a tainted soul bent on destroying humanity.
1. Kagome's Loneness

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Kagome's Loneness  
  
Kagome walked through a forest of deep fog. The fog was so thick she could not see ahead of her.  
  
"Inuyasha?" she called. "Inuyasha?"  
  
There was no answer. Her scared voice echoed loudly through the woods. She was hesitant, but started to slowly walk again.  
  
"Inuyasha? Shippo?"  
  
The fog seemed to envelope and engulf her. Then, quite suddenly, she got a quick shiver. A bad vibe. Something very ominous and threatening. She began to hear noises and started to run in a panic. No one was anywhere, and she was all by herself.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
Kagome suddenly felt something.  
  
"A jewel shard is nearby," she thought to herself.  
  
Suddenly, a tree caught her eye. It was a twisted, gnarled tree and the fog seemed to be emanating from it. It made unusual noises and spewed out fog from its contorted branches every so often. There appeared to be no leaves budding from it. It looked completely drained of life.  
  
Kagome approached the tree apprehensively and coughed when it spewed a cloud of fog. She put her hand over her mouth to cover it.  
  
"Where is everybody?" she asked herself.  
  
She abruptly noticed a knob in the center of the tree that was protruding, and sticking out of it, was a jewel shard. It looked sharp like a spine on a cactus, and it wasn't fully embedded in the knob. Kagome then walked over to it and tried to pull it out. It wouldn't budge.  
  
"Okay, then," she said.  
  
She took out an arrow from the quiver on her back and tried to cut the shard out with the arrow's sharp point. She tried jabbing it to pry it out, but it was no use.  
  
"Maybe this will work," she said, and she took a couple steps backwards.  
  
Kagome then took out her bow and set up her arrow for a shot that would perhaps knock the shard loose.  
  
"Here goes nothing," she said, and she took aim.  
  
She pulled it back and the arrow flew through the air flawlessly. It hit the knob of the tree, exactly where the shard was rooted. But, it did nothing. The tree spewed another batch of pungent fog and Kagome gagged.  
  
She approached the tree again to retrieve her arrow, when she was attacked. 


	2. Tree of Fog

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Tree of Fog  
  
The tree that was emitting the acrid fog from its branches began to stir. Kagome took notice and backed away. The jewel shard that was sticking out of the knob on the tree sunk and embedded itself into it. The shard was completely submerged into the wood. It shined brightly and gave the tree a spectacular glow.  
  
"What?"  
  
Suddenly, a gigantic gnarled root shot out of the ground. It arose higher and higher into the air, and eventually, came crashing down to the ground, almost squashing Kagome to a pulpy pancake. She noticed that the tree stopped emitting its fog. The surrounding fog of the forest began to dissipate because of the brilliant glow of the tree; it was making everything quite visible now. Kagome stood up and noticed the great glow was coming from the tree's core, in which the jewel shard now dwelled. She heard the tree give off palpable beats; it seemed to be the heart of the tree.  
  
Kagome backed away, still in quite awe of the shining tree, when she tripped over an uprooted branch.  
  
"Ugh!"  
  
The gigantic root that almost crushed Kagome before was now starting to move again. Kagome saw it, and quickly rushed to get up. She held her bow taut once again and pulled an arrow back, attempting to shoot at the root. When the arrow was released, it hit the target precisely, but instead of being impaled into the tree, it abruptly ricocheted off of it.  
  
"It didn't even scratch it," Kagome stared in shock.  
  
Kagome knew that she had practice with her bow and arrow, and that they were quite a formidable force. She didn't understand why her arrows couldn't pierce such a weak type of wood. Kagome was the reincarnation of Kikyo, after all, and her arrows were extremely powerful, full of magic and energy. So why couldn't she even cut through weak tree?  
  
She didn't know, however, that the forest is what did it. The atmosphere and the overwhelming fog were purely enfeebling. It was sapping all of the magic and energy out of her.  
  
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. The earth below Kagome opened up, and the thick roots of the tree came out of the fissures. They were all enormous, just like the one that tried to crush Kagome. She immediately reacted and began to run. The roots started to chase after Kagome through the forest. The trees seemed to engulf her and swirl around her. Everything was getting very hazy now, as the trees around her began to spew the same kind of distasteful fog as the tree with the jewel shard embedded in it. Their roots also, began to create quakes and fissures as their twisted roots arose from the earth. The forest seemed to be chasing her. The fog now was so dense that she couldn't even see her own feet. All of the trees around Kagome were chasing her now with their mammoth roots, as she ran around the forest blinder than a bat. 


	3. Pure Arrows

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Pure Arrows  
  
Kagome ran as fast as she could, in a blind haste because of the heavy fog, with the gigantic roots of the forest chasing after her. The putrid smell of the fog was now too pungent, that her eyes began to water. She kept running. Her senses and her energy were becoming weak, as her feet started to slow. She could still hear the rumble of the roots chasing her.  
  
Kagome kept running, until she suddenly felt something hit her ankle. She tripped over it, and fell to the ground, her eyes leaking salty beads profusely. It was a piece of tree branch, as she felt the ground, trying to recover. But abruptly, the roots caught up to her, and seized her by the injured ankle. The trees gradually wrapped their huge roots around her, and squeezed her body like a boa constrictor.  
  
"Ah!" she gasped.  
  
She couldn't move. The roots were going to crush her. Suddenly, she had pictures of Inuyasha flash through her mind. She remembered all the times he had protected her with his life. Kagome couldn't give in; she could protect herself. She had to believe it; she had to save herself.  
  
Suddenly, there was a flash of light. A spark of light, which illuminated the forest of fog. Kagome could finally see again, and the roots that were holding her began to loosen. Then, the light grew brighter, and the mammoth roots of the trees began to let go of her body. Kagome noticed that the light was coming from her arrows on her back.  
  
"Oh!" she exclaimed.  
  
The brilliant light grew stronger, and the roots eventually let go of Kagome altogether. The roots shivered and weakened, and fled back into the forest. Kagome noticed the trees around her. They began to return to normal, the fog ceasing to spew from their branches. The roots went back down into the earth.  
  
Kagome felt her strength returning. She stood up, and looked around at the forest returning to its normal state, except that there was no longer any fog.  
  
"That was close," Kagome said. "But what was that light?"  
  
She took the arrows from her quiver and scrutinized them. The light was now gone.  
  
"That was weird," she wondered. "Why did my arrows glow like that?"  
  
Suddenly, there was a loud bang, followed by a whiff of that acrid fog smell.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
Kagome reluctantly, but curiously, walked toward the rancid aroma. She eventually stumbled upon the tree again, that had a jewel shard embedded deeply in it. The tree seemed dormant of movement now, which was chasing her with its roots just a couple minutes before. It seemed to have summoned and awakened all the other trees of the forest, and commanded them to chase her. But now, it seemed more gnarled and twisted than ever. Kagome sensed that the jewel shard was still in it.  
  
Thus, Kagome took aim and shot an arrow straight at the tree's midst. It hit it head on, and impaled through the tree. Then, there was a sudden burst of light, coming from the arrow's tip. The arrow sank deeper into the wood, and there was a sudden cracking noise.  
  
Kagome noticed that the jewel shard came out of the other side of the tree, for the arrow impaled straight through the tree's bowels, and knocked the jewel shard out of it, in its line of fire. She rushed over to grab the jewel shard. It glowed a shimmer of light in her hand, and dissipated the rest of the fog of the forest. 


	4. Kagome, Trapped

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Kagome, Trapped  
  
Kagome admired the jewel shard she had just acquired.  
  
"And I did this all by myself!" she exclaimed. "But where is everybody?"  
  
An evil witch cackled as she looked at a frail and limp Kagome. Kagome was shackled in chains, with eyes closed and body immobile. She appeared to be talking in her sleep.  
  
"I'm lost!"  
  
"There is no way out," the witch snickered. "There is no way out. You're trapped inside of your own mind."  
  
Kagome couldn't hear the witch's words. She was lost in a forest, alone. She was trapped inside of her mind. All of the forest, all of the trees, even the jewel shard, was all in her head. The witch had cast a spell on her.  
  
The witch appeared to be quite young, with fine flowing brown hair, and thundercloud gray eyes. She wore all black clothes; soft robes that touched the ground. She lived in a run-down shack, which was protected by powerful magic.  
  
The floors were strewn with old books and papers. The walls were cluttered with shelves and shelves of bottles. Some with skulls of animals, some with neon-bright liquids, some with types of blood, and some with various concoctions. There appeared to be no doors, as the witch wanted it well protected. Thus, she simply walked through the walls.  
  
Although appearing to be an innocent young woman, she was a very powerful witch.  
  
"Now that I got your jewel shards," the witch said abruptly. "I can become more powerful."  
  
She held up Kagome's jewel shards in her hand. She then took an empty bottle from a shelf and placed them in it.  
  
"I will become powerful at last, and finally do away with all these immoral humans."  
  
Kagome began talking again.  
  
"I don't get it. One second I was talking to Lady Kaede, and the next second I was in this creepy forest!"  
  
"And you will never escape," the witch interrupted. "As for Lady Kaede, she has been taken care of. And soon, your friends will be too."  
  
Kagome couldn't hear her, but she was well aware that she was in jeopardy. 


	5. Turmoil in Town

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Turmoil in Town  
  
Meanwhile, in the village, people were gathered around to see what was going on. Lady Kaede had been killed. Her body was lying peacefully on the floor, as if she was asleep. Inuyasha and Shippo were just awoken by the ruckus. They and Kagome had spent the night at the village. They slept in a vacant house suggested by Lady Kaede.  
  
"What's going on?" Shippo peered outside with drowsy eyes. "Oh!"  
  
Shippo noticed all of the people talking and gathering at Lady Kaede's abode. Inuyasha heard all of the noise and pushed Shippo out of the way to see what was going on.  
  
"Hey!" Shippo screamed.  
  
"What's all the fuss?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Don't know. Looks like everybody's at Lady Kaede's."  
  
"Hm."  
  
Inuyasha walked out to see what was going on. Shippo followed quickly.  
  
"Hey, wait!"  
  
They walked up to the crowd gathering at Lady Kaede's.  
  
"How could this have happened?" a woman wondered.  
  
"And that Kagome girl's gone. I bet she had something to do with it!" a suspicious man said.  
  
"Hey, what's going on?" Inuyasha intervened.  
  
"Uh! It's that dog demon!" a shocked man yelped. "He must be the one responsible!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha yelled.  
  
"For this," the man said, and stood aside to reveal a dead Lady Kaede.  
  
"What's wrong?" Shippo asked. "She won't wake up?"  
  
Lady Kaede appeared to be sleeping soundly.  
  
"No, you squirrel demon!" the man screamed. "She's dead!"  
  
Inuyasha was shocked. He then leapt over to where Lady Kaede's corpse lied, and sniffed the ground with his nose.  
  
"What?!?" everybody wondered. "What is he doing?"  
  
Inuyasha sniffed the air, and then looked up at the confused crowd.  
  
"The smell of blood," he said. "Nothing like it."  
  
"Well, of course!" the man said. "She was murdered!"  
  
"What?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"She was killed by someone or something!"  
  
The man then proceeded to turn over Lady Kaede's body. When he did, the people's eyes opened. There were bloody claw marks all over her backside.  
  
"Something like you!" the man finished.  
  
"No!" a tiny young voice said, from the back of the crowd. "He didn't do it!"  
  
The whole crowd of people turned to the back. A young boy was running toward them.  
  
"He didn't do it," he said, panting, as he stood beside the crowd. "He didn't!"  
  
"Huh?" they wondered.  
  
Inuyasha then recognized the boy.  
  
"I remember him from somewhere," Inuyasha thought aloud.  
  
"What?" Shippo wondered.  
  
The boy, catching his breath finally, began to speak again.  
  
"He didn't do it. He didn't kill Lady Kaede."  
  
The man that was accusing Inuyasha before appeared out of the crowd.  
  
"Shouta, what are you talking about?" he asked the boy.  
  
"Dad, he didn't do it. I remember him. His name is Inuyasha."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Dad, he's a half-demon," the boy began. "Remember the time when there was a lot of those worm demons running all over the place? Well, remember the time I was playing outside the village, when one of those things attacked me? I ran for it, but it was way faster and it almost caught up to me, right? It would've eaten me! But luckily, someone saved me and destroyed the thing. And that person was Inuyasha!"  
  
"He's the one that saved you?" the man asked his son.  
  
"Yeah, dad."  
  
"Are you sure it was him?"  
  
"Yeah, it was him, dad. But he took off after he got a jewel shard from the back of the worm demon."  
  
"There, you see! It was him that killed Lady Kaede! He was only after that jewel shard in the demon's back!" the man yelled. "He's going after the jewel shards to become more powerful! Just like all those other evil demons!"  
  
"No, dad! He saved me! Him and this girl, the one that stayed here last night with them," the boy said, pointing to Inuyasha and Shippo.  
  
"Kagome," Inuyasha said.  
  
"Yeah, that was her name. I remember her too. She asked me if I was okay, after that worm thing attacked me. She gave me a band-aid for my cut."  
  
"Oh, yeah, now I remember that," Inuyasha exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, Kagome is the one that is supposedly, the reincarnation of Lady Kikyo," a woman called from the back.  
  
"Yes, I think so," a man said.  
  
The crowd began talking loudly and questioning.  
  
"Hey, where is Kagome, anyway?" Inuyasha wondered, looking around.  
  
"She said she was staying at Lady Kaede's last night because she wanted to talk to her," Shippo said.  
  
"Yes, I heard them," a lady called from the midst of the crowd.  
  
The crowd settled down, quieted, and dispersed to let the woman talk. She was the village's gossiper, always spreading rumors and finding people's personal information out.  
  
"I heard Lady Kaede talk to this Kagome girl late last night," the woman began. "I was taking the clothes down from the clothesline, when I overheard their conversation from inside the house. They were talking about the jewel shards and Inuyasha, who appears to be this dog demon here."  
  
Inuyasha made an angry grunt.  
  
"Well, I heard them talk about finding the jewel shards, and Inuyasha finally admitting that he wanted to protect Kagome."  
  
"The dog demon protects Kagome?" Shouta's dad asked.  
  
"Hmph," Inuyasha grunted. "I only do it because she's the only one who can sense the jewel shards."  
  
"What? She can sense them?"  
  
"Yeah," Inuyasha explained. "That's why I protect her."  
  
"Where is Kagome now though?" Shouta asked.  
  
"We don't know."  
  
"Has anyone seen her?" Shippo wondered. "Hey, Kagome!"  
  
"Kagome must have something to do with Lady Kaede's death then!" Shouta's dad said. "She was with her last night."  
  
"No, I don't believe she did it," the gossip lady said. "She was simply talking to her, and I saw them go to sleep. I don't believe it!"  
  
"It must have been Inuyasha then!" Shouta's dad exclaimed.  
  
"No, dad! He didn't do it!" Shouta screamed.  
  
The crowd began talking loudly to each other again. Meanwhile, Inuyasha was sniffing around for Kagome, and Shippo was panicking.  
  
"Hey, Kagome!"  
  
As Inuyasha was sniffing the ground, a bug leapt up on his nose and began sucking the blood from it. Inuyasha smashed it.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Myoga the flea!" Inuyasha said, with the squashed bug in his palm.  
  
The flea stood up.  
  
"Good morning, Lord Inuyasha!" he said. "Just catching a bite to eat!"  
  
"Where've you been, Myoga?" Shippo asked. "Kagome's gone missing, and Lady Kaede has been murdered!"  
  
"What?" Myoga wondered. "What happened?"  
  
"Everyone's talking about it. They think we killed Lady Kaede!" Shippo explained.  
  
"What?!?"  
  
Shouta appeared from the crowd and walked over to Inuyasha.  
  
"They're going to bring in a healer," Shouta told them. "And he's going to figure out what exactly left those marks on Lady Kaede's back."  
  
"Okay," Inuyasha said. "Doesn't matter to me because I didn't kill the old lady, and you know that too, kid."  
  
"Yeah, I do. You didn't kill her! But, no one believes me. Not even dad. But that gossip lady believes me, and she's trying to convince them now that you didn't do it." 


	6. Daisuke's Autopsy

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Daisuke's Autopsy  
  
"No, I don't think that dog demon killed Lady Kaede," the gossip lady told the crowd. "Inuyasha is a friend of the girl Kagome, who was kind towards Lady Kaede."  
  
"I don't know. Can we trust them?" a man asked.  
  
"No, we can't. There isn't enough proof that the dog demon named Inuyasha didn't kill Lady Kaede," Shouta's dad told them. "We can't assume."  
  
"Well, I was a witness," the gossip lady said. "Isn't that proof? Kagome and Lady Kaede were talking. No dog demon was around. I was up taking the clothes down."  
  
"Yes, but how do you know it didn't occur after?" a woman said from the back. "The stealthy mutt could've snuck in and killed Lady Kaede in her sleep!"  
  
The crowd began yelling again.  
  
"That girl Kagome is just as suspicious as the dog demon!" someone said.  
  
"But I saw her talking to Lady Kaede," the gossip lady yelled back. "She was a friend of hers!"  
  
"Well, where is the girl now, then?"  
  
Shouta ran back to the crowd.  
  
"Dad, are you going to bring in a healer?" he asked his father.  
  
"Oh, yes. He will be here tomorrow hopefully," Shouta's dad answered him over the roaring of the crowd.  
  
"What's his name?"  
  
"His name is Daisuke."  
  
Meanwhile, Inuyasha was still sniffing around for Kagome's scent. Shippo was running around the village in a panic, looking for her, while Myoga tried hopping over to hear what the crowd was yelling about. Unfortunately, he was squished by Shouta's sandal in the process.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Shouta called.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
Inuyasha looked up, as he was diligently sniffing the soil.  
  
"What, kid? Did they figure anything out yet?" he asked. "Like me being innocent?"  
  
"Dad said that the healer is coming tomorrow," Shouta told him. "His name is Daisuke."  
  
Suddenly, there was a slight grumbling noise from the bottom of Shouta's sandal. He held his leg up and took off his sandal; Inuyasha scraped Myoga off from the bottom of it.  
  
"Myoga? What happened?" a curious Shippo ran back.  
  
"Just was walking and got squished," Myoga put plainly. "I wanted to overhear the conversation over there."  
  
"Who's this?" Shouta asked.  
  
"Myoga, the flea," Inuyasha told him. "A cowardly bug."  
  
"Why, Lord Inuyasha! That's what you call me? Haven't I been a loyal guide to you?" Myoga asked in shock.  
  
"Oh yeah, very loyal. All those times you stayed and helped me fight, and get the jewel shards..."  
  
"Well..."  
  
The flea sat down and changed the subject quickly.  
  
"This Daisuke, I've heard of him," the flea began. "He's a healer. A great healer. He's known for his cures for diseases and diagnosis."  
  
"Yeah, he's coming tomorrow," Shouta said. "To see what really killed Lady Kaede."  
  
That night, the sky was heavy with humidity. The moon and stars seemed to be usually bright, illuminating the darkness.  
  
Shippo was asleep in the empty house that they had slept in the night before. Inuyasha was sleeping also, but was dozing outside of the house, acting like a guard. Myoga was still awake, however, gazing up at the unusual starlit sky.  
  
Suddenly, there were footsteps.  
  
"Huh?" the flea wondered, looking around. "Hm. Must be the night. It plays tricks on you."  
  
There were more footsteps. Quicker.  
  
"Maybe I should go to sleep. Maybe getting tired."  
  
Then, a shadow loomed over Myoga. It engulfed his little shadow entirely.  
  
"What?"  
  
He looked up, and there stood the gossip woman, peering inside the house, and then, at Inuyasha. She abruptly took off, into the darkness.  
  
"Who was that?" Myoga wondered.  
  
Morning came, with delicious rays beaming down on the town, which provided comfortable warmth. It wasn't too hot; it had a refreshing morning breeze to it.  
  
Myoga told Inuyasha about what happened during the night.  
  
"Now, what was it, Myoga? I wasn't listening," Inuyasha said annoyed.  
  
"Lord Inuyasha, a woman was here last night," Myoga told him. "She seemed to be sneaking around, and she looked inside this house. I didn't get a good look at her because it was so dark, and she immediately took off when she saw you."  
  
"A woman? Sneaking around here?"  
  
"Hey, what's going on?" Shippo asked, peering out of the house.  
  
"I saw someone sneaking around last night," Myoga told Shippo. "She appeared to be looking for something. She looked inside this house, saw Lord Inuyasha, and ran."  
  
"Hm," Shippo wondered. "That's weird."  
  
In the late afternoon, the sun rested easily upon the sky. The clouds had vanished, and the blueness of the atmosphere was very serene. Gentle zephyrs breezed through the village, as the noisy crowd was once again, gathered together, talking. Controversy and argument soon drowned the serenity of the sky.  
  
"This Inuyasha character looks suspicious to me," an old man said.  
  
"We can't do anything until Daisuke gets here," a woman said. "We have to wait."  
  
About an hour or so later, the healer appeared over the horizon. He was walking, his heavy sandals crackling the gravel as he approached the village. He was wearing a bag strapped around his neck, with a very somber look on his face. The crowd noticed him walking towards them, and they all looked relieved.  
  
"Lord Daisuke, thank you for coming to help us," the old man said.  
  
"It is nothing," Daisuke said, with the same serious face. "Now let me see her."  
  
The old man led Daisuke to Lady Kaede's. Inuyasha, Shippo, Myoga, and Shouta all showed up to see what was going on. Shouta ran up to his dad to ask.  
  
"Dad, is the healer here? Daisuke?"  
  
"Yes, Shouta. He's in there right now, examining Lady Kaede. Maybe he can figure out who or what killed her."  
  
The crowd began talking loudly again, while waiting outside of Lady Kaede's. Unlike most of the other houses, Lady's Kaede's had a door. No noises could be heard from within, due to the vociferous talking of the villagers.  
  
"I bet it's Inuyasha," a man whispered to others, due to the fact that Inuyasha was in front of him, sniffing the ground for Kagome again.  
  
"Can't pick up her scent anywhere," Inuyasha said. "She must be really far now. But where could she have gone?"  
  
Just then, Myoga hopped onto Inuyasha's shoulder.  
  
"Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Lord Inuyasha, I think maybe you should sniff around the house that we've been sleeping at. Maybe that woman that was sneaking around has something to do with the things going on!"  
  
"Okay, Myoga. If you're right, I might take back the things I said."  
  
Inuyasha leapt quickly over to their crashing house. He sniffed the ground thoroughly, and luckily, picked up a scent.  
  
"Hm. I don't remember this smell before."  
  
"What is it, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked.  
  
"Well, it's a smell, but it's weird. It seems like mixed smells."  
  
"Hm," Myoga thought.  
  
"It's..."  
  
Just then, the crowd began talking louder. Arguments were breaking out again about Inuyasha and Kagome.  
  
"I tell you, it's that Kagome girl!" a woman bickered.  
  
"No, no! Inuyasha!" someone else screamed.  
  
"They're all innocent!" Shouta yelled at the top of his lungs.  
  
Everyone talked louder. It couldn't be stopped.  
  
"I wish Momoko, the gossip lady, was here!" Shouta thought to himself. "She would help me argue that I'm right."  
  
Suddenly, it clicked.  
  
"Wait, where is Momoko?" Shouta asked aloud.  
  
An elderly lady overheard Shouta and walked over to him.  
  
"She's sick," she said. "Very ill. She's resting in bed. Perhaps the healer can help her afterward. Poor thing."  
  
Inuyasha sniffed more. His nose then recognized something.  
  
"It's blood," he said. "But not a lot of it. I can just barely pick it up. Something else too."  
  
He lied on his palms and sniffed the cool earth.  
  
"I don't know what it is," Inuyasha told them. "But it's very close."  
  
He sniffed the ground more, and eventually, he was on its trail. Whatever it was.  
  
"Hey, what is it, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, while putting his nose into the ground. "I can't smell anything."  
  
"Wait, it's getting stronger," Inuyasha said, as he began walking now. "Over here!"  
  
He led them to a house with a door. Inuyasha sniffed the ground once more to make sure.  
  
"It's really strong here."  
  
He knocked on the door. No answer.  
  
"Hello!" he yelled.  
  
No one came.  
  
"Alright, that's it! We gotta find Kagome!"  
  
Inuyasha then jumped back harshly, his feet sounding as they hit the ground. He took out Tetsusaiga, and unleashed a fierce slash that shattered the door to splinters.  
  
"Ah!" Shippo jumped, startled.  
  
As the crash subsided, the three entered the apparently empty house.  
  
"No one's here," Inuyasha said. "But I can still smell it. Someone was here. Definitely."  
  
"But who?" Shippo asked.  
  
Shouta heard the commotion that Inuyasha made, and was hurrying over.  
  
"What's going on? What happened?"  
  
"Long story, kid," Inuyasha said. "Just tell me. Do you know who lives here?"  
  
"Yeah, this is Momoko's house."  
  
"Who is that?"  
  
"Oh, she's that gossip lady who was trying to clear your name yesterday..but where is she?"  
  
Shouta proceeded to look inside the house.  
  
"No one's here, kid," Inuyasha told him.  
  
"But, she's suppose to be here!" Shouta explained. "Momoko's mom told me she was sick in bed! Really sick!"  
  
Suddenly, there was a decrease in the crowd's commotion. Daisuke seemed to be done examining Lady Kaede. Inuyasha, Shippo, Shouta, and Myoga all walked over to see what was discovered.  
  
Daisuke peered out of the house, and stepped outside, in front of the crowd.  
  
"I am done with the autopsy," he began. "I discovered many peculiar things. First, well, maybe I should show you. It'll be easier."  
  
He led the crowd into Lady Kaede's house. Once inside, everyone, especially Inuyasha with his sensitive nose, noticed the odd smell that hung heavy in the air. It was an unusual mixture of the scents of the embalming herbs and liquids used on Lady Kaede. They all gathered around the corpse of Lady Kaede, and waited for Daisuke to speak. But before he did, he knelt down beside Lady Kaede's body, and turned her over; to reveal the deep claw marks that the crowd had saw before.  
  
"These may look like claw marks," Daisuke said. "But looks can be deceiving."  
  
He then pulled out a pair of wooden sticks from his pocket, which looked similar to tweezers, and dug into one of the deep gashes on Lady Kaede's back. A small fragment of metal protruded from the mark. He pulled it out with the wooden tweezers, and scrutinized it closely.  
  
"This is what I've discovered," he began. "This particle of metal here proves that it wasn't a claw that killed Lady Kaede. Otherwise, if a claw did kill her, there would be nail shards in the gashes, but there aren't."  
  
Everyone was awed by Daisuke's discovery. It wasn't a demon that killed her.  
  
"This metal particle here proves that she was murdered by someone with a weapon. Someone human." 


	7. Blood and Soap

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Blood and Soap  
  
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed.  
  
The witch snickered at the struggling, shackled Kagome. She had begun pouring various liquids from dusty vials into an ancient urn.  
  
"This brew will empower the jewel shards to their fullest potential," the witch said. "And finally, I will become powerful enough to wipe out the disgusting race of humans in this world. And, I will be able to avenge dear mother."  
  
The young witch pulled her hand out of her dark robes and clutched the precious amulet that hung from her neck.  
  
"Mother, I will avenge you."  
  
Meanwhile, back in the town, the crowd began to discuss the matters at hand vociferously.  
  
"A human? Killed Lady Kaede?" someone cried out.  
  
"It was not Inuyasha?" someone else wondered. "It must have been that Kagome girl then!"  
  
"No, no! It wasn't her!" Shouta screamed. "Where is Momoko?"  
  
Inuyasha began sniffing the ground again vigorously, and with a more positive attitude now, since his name seemed to be cleared.  
  
"Inuyasha! What are you doing?" Shippo asked.  
  
"What do you think I'm doing? I'm trying to find Kagome!" he yelled. "But there isn't even a trace."  
  
Shouta searched through the crowd to seek out Momoko's mother. Maybe she knew where Momoko was.  
  
"Excuse me," Shouta asked the wizened lady. "Do you know where Momoko is?"  
  
"She isn't resting in bed, my dear?"  
  
"No, we went to visit her earlier. You see, Inuyasha picked up a scent, and..."  
  
The crowd began roaring again, more loudly.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute! Is that a sword he's carrying?!?" Shouta's dad wondered, noticing Inuyasha's scabbard, containing the Tetsusaiga. "Yes, it is!"  
  
The crowd moved over, surrounding Inuyasha.  
  
"You killed Lady Kaede!" someone yelled.  
  
"No, I..."  
  
Daisuke pushed through the crowd and approached Inuyasha.  
  
"Hm. May I see that?"  
  
"What? The Tetsusaiga?!? No way!" Inuyasha said.  
  
"See, he did kill her!" a person shouted.  
  
"Alright, here," Inuyasha said, and he unsheathed the Tetsusaiga.  
  
Daisuke grabbed it, and quickly walked back to Kaede's house to examine it. The crowd rushed over to the house, and waited just outside.  
  
"Is this gonna go on forever?" Inuyasha whined. "And where is Kagome?"  
  
Shouta rushed out of the crowd and ran over to Inuyasha.  
  
"Inuyasha, no one knows where Momoko is! You know, the nice gossip lady? The one that tried to clear your name yesterday? Well, she seems to be gone. Her mom keeps saying that she's sick in bed, but we know she isn't!"  
  
"Yeah, so?" Inuyasha said, not even paying attention.  
  
"She's gone missing Inuyasha!" Shouta explained. "Just like Kagome!"  
  
"Yeah, but I don't know this Momoko's scent anyway," Inuyasha explained. "Hey, wait a minute. Maybe..."  
  
Inuyasha knelt down and began sniffing the ground again. He peered up occasionally to look at the noisy crowd. But then, he began running toward Momoko's house.  
  
Meanwhile, Daisuke appeared out of Kaede's house and began speaking to the crowd.  
  
"The sword doesn't seem to match the hard metal particle," he stated lucidly. "I don't believe it was this Inuyasha you seem to be accusing."  
  
"Not Inuyasha?" the crowd began to wonder and talk aloud again.  
  
Daisuke waited awhile, cleared his throat, and spoke again.  
  
"I do not know, who, in fact, killed Lady Kaede. However, I think it is only proper to begin a burial as soon as possible for her."  
  
The crowd talked noisily again, while Inuyasha peered inside of Momoko's house, with Shippo and Shouta, and Myoga on his shoulder.  
  
"She isn't anywhere," Shouta said. "Weird that Lady Kaede was killed, and two people have gone missing, in only two days!"  
  
"Yes, it is," Myoga concurred.  
  
Inuyasha sniffed the floor everywhere carefully, and eventually picked up the same scent as the previous visit.  
  
"Yeah, the blood," Inuyasha said. "But that other smell, what is it?"  
  
"Is it Momoko's scent?" Shouta wondered.  
  
"It smells like..."  
  
Inuyasha sniffed some more and then leapt over to a wooden table. Atop of it sat flowers, a bamboo wind chime, a jar of a foamy mixture, some dry leaves, and an old folding fan. Inuyasha picked up the jar and sniffed the concoction inside.  
  
"This is it right here! Wow, that's strong stuff," he said while recoiling. "This is what I've been smelling!"  
  
"What?" Shippo wondered. "I wonder what it is?" he said while dipping a finger in it.  
  
"What are you stupid? It could be poison for all we know!"  
  
"Hm. Let me see that," Shouta asked.  
  
Shippo handed him the jar. Shouta looked at its murky green color and felt the surface of its slimy texture.  
  
"Hey, I know what this is!" he said. "This is just Momoko's homemade soap for cleaning clothes! We have some too at home, I think."  
  
"Hm. This is most interesting, Lord Inuyasha!" Myoga said. "You say you can smell it everywhere?"  
  
"Yeah. But what's the point in following its scent?"  
  
"Think about it, Lord Inuyasha! Perhaps this scent will lead you to the missing Lady Momoko!"  
  
"Yeah! And maybe Kagome too!" Shippo chimed in.  
  
"Hm. Alright. Let's go."  
  
They all agreed.  
  
Meanwhile, the crowd decided to hold a burial.  
  
"I guess we should do the proper thing," Shouta's dad said. "If Lady Kaede were alive, she wouldn't want us arguing like this."  
  
"Yes," everyone agreed.  
  
"I shall prepare her body for a burial," Daisuke told the crowd.  
  
The crowd began to disperse at last and Daisuke began the embalming process.  
  
Momoko's mother walked back home, and noticed that Shouta was right; Momoko was gone.  
  
"Now where could she have gone?" her mother wondered. "Well, I guess I'd better make lunch. That daughter of mine is so hardworking; she just needs to take it easy for once. She's probably out tending the vegetables again, or something, but she always knows when it's time for lunch. She'll be back."  
  
Shouta's dad returned home, his wife urging him to sit down and eat.  
  
"Where is Shouta?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know. I thought he returned here after everyone left," Shouta's dad said.  
  
Meanwhile, Inuyasha began sniffing the air again, inhaling the strong soapy scent, and the lingering smell of dried blood.  
  
"Over this way," he told them.  
  
With Shippo worried, Shouta troubled, Myoga terrified; they all followed Inuyasha beyond the outskirts of the village, past the acres of prosperous vegetables, and into the darkness of the forest.  
  
Rushing blindly, only relying on his enhanced sense of smell, Inuyasha followed the scents. Time seemed to be irrelevant, for the moon already made its appearance. The others, still following Inuyasha, were dependent on him to lead. But he was close; he knew.  
  
"I can smell it everywhere!" he thought.  
  
After awhile, they began to tire; their bodies trying to resist the aching fatigue. They decided to rest for a moment, with the blackness of the night and the cold wind making them shiver.  
  
"Why are we stopping? We have to find Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled.  
  
"Lord Inuyasha, you need your strength for whatever lies ahead," Myoga said.  
  
"Yeah, we all need our rest," Shippo added.  
  
"I just hope they are alright," Shouta thought.  
  
Meanwhile, an enshrouded figure observed them from afar, prudently and patiently peering from behind an old tree.  
  
Inuyasha stood up.  
  
"Let's go. We have to find them."  
  
The shadow cautiously slipped closer to them. It snuck, flowing with the shade of silhouettes, with the darkness.  
  
Inuyasha heard it.  
  
"What?"  
  
Suddenly, there was an abrupt hissing noise, and soon, an overwhelming vapor was in the air, a thick tainted mist. It appeared to have a dreamlike element to it. It quickly influenced them. Inuyasha was on the verge of fainting.  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
Soon, they were all influenced; rendered helpless to the potent mist, and all were strewn about across the forest floor, passed out completely.  
  
The shadowy figure came out of hiding.  
  
"Okay," the familiar voice said. "I believe I should take you to Lady Mayumi now. She has dire plans for you." 


	8. The Vengeful Witch, Mayumi

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
The Vengeful Witch, Mayumi  
  
"The mixture will soon be complete," the witch said. "Thank you for your help, Momoko."  
  
The somber face of Momoko appeared out of the intimidating darkness.  
  
"It is my pleasure to serve you, Lady Mayumi. I am eternally in your debt."  
  
Inuyasha heard that familiar voice faintly, as he awakened. He abruptly realized that he was shackled in chains.  
  
"What the hell?"  
  
"Hm. You're awake, Inuyasha," the witch, Mayumi, noticed. "I need to you to be awake, so that you may witness the end of the human race."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Momoko loyally fetched you for me from the forest. Along with your friends."  
  
Inuyasha turned to see Kagome next to him, shackled in chains as well. Shippo and Shouta were locked in a room, sealed by powerful bewitchment. Inuyasha finally came to.  
  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Calm yourself," the witch began. "I am Mayumi, soon to be the sealer of your fate. I have gathered your Kagome to give me the jewel shards you possessed. I needed those shards to begin mixing a brew. Once the mixture is complete, the shards' powers will be enhanced, and I will finally be able to rid this planet of the repulsive blackhearts known as humans."  
  
Kagome was still under Mayumi's spell. She began to scream and shake violently once again.  
  
"Inuyasha! Where am I?"  
  
"What did you do to her?" Inuyasha asked, with his fists clenched tightly.  
  
"She is under a spell. And as for you, your life will end soon."  
  
Inuyasha began struggling and pulling the chains.  
  
"It is futile," Mayumi said. "Those chains are enchanted and bound with powerful magic."  
  
"Damn it."  
  
"You should thank Momoko. Her shrewdness and stealth caused you to have this fate."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Momoko's head was bent; her hair covered her eyes and most of her face. She looked up, stepping out of the blackness once again.  
  
"Momoko? The gossip lady?"  
  
"Yes, the innocent, kind-hearted gossip lady," Mayumi said. "The one who also swiftly eliminated Kaede for me."  
  
"But how?"  
  
There was a sudden clank on the ground. Inuyasha saw the object by his feet. It was a metal apparatus, with thin, however sharp knives protruding out of it. Inuyasha sniffed a sudden scent of dried blood. It looked as though it could be held in the fist as a weapon.  
  
"You killed her?" Inuyasha said, with anger slightly rising.  
  
"Yes. It was I," Momoko said. "Lady Mayumi said it had to be done, so it was done. I will always obey her orders. I must repay her."  
  
"Kaede was in the way. She saw too much," Mayumi said. "She had to be killed."  
  
"Damn you!"  
  
Inuyasha began to pull at the chains again. He wouldn't succumb; everyone was in dire jeopardy.  
  
"You must not get in the way either," Mayumi said.  
  
With that, Mayumi cast a spell upon Inuyasha, and slowly, his eyelids drooped. He eventually closed his eyes, and left reality. 


	9. Agonizing Memories

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Agonizing Memories  
  
"Thank you, Momoko, again," Mayumi said.  
  
"Yes, Lady Mayumi. I am in your debt."  
  
"It seemed so long ago, Momoko. That day. When your life was in danger."  
  
"It was, Lady Mayumi. It was about twenty years ago."  
  
"Yes, you were only a little girl. I remember now."  
  
"On the way home to the village, a demon was about to kill me, when you saved my life. You were older than me then, however, Lady Mayumi."  
  
"Yes, my amulet."  
  
Mayumi clutched her translucent amulet in her palm.  
  
"I am forever in your debt, Lady Mayumi," Momoko said. "I can only pay you back with my life."  
  
"Momoko, you have paid me back greatly," Mayumi said. "You have done your part."  
  
With that, Mayumi shot a devastating blast of magic at the vulnerable Momoko. Momoko fell to the floor, drenched in her own pool of blood.  
  
"You have done your part, Momoko," Mayumi said. "I now regret tainting your mind and clouding your memories. But it had to be done, in order to ensure the safety of my plans."  
  
Mayumi mused and got lost in thought.  
  
"You are human too, Momoko," Mayumi said. "I now take back my remorse."  
  
Mayumi experienced a sudden flashback.  
  
It was about a hundred years ago. A man named Kenta had fallen in love with a beautiful half-sprite named Nanami. She seemed to never age; her beauty was so youthful and pure. But this was only because of a magical heirloom that she possessed. The amulet of immortality; this was what made her young forever.  
  
Nanami had loved Kenta as well, and they both fell in love with each other. They eventually had a baby girl, and named her Mayumi. Mayumi grew up to be a beautiful woman like her mother.  
  
But one night, when Mayumi was about nineteen years old, the moon was three quarters full, a shooting star was seen, and an ironic ominous wind brushed through quickly, something happened. Kenta had gone insane; something inside of him must have broken, and he went berserk. He got a hold of a knife, and mortally stabbed Nanami while she was asleep. Mayumi was awakened by her mother's cries of terror. But by the time she had aroused herself, her father began to run away, and her mother was on the floor, dying. Mayumi ran to her mother in tears.  
  
"Mom!" she cried. "What happened?"  
  
"Do not cry, my Mayumi," Nanami said, with an almost celestial voice. "My time was bound to come soon."  
  
Mayumi saw her father fleeing. Her tears and emotions were overwhelming her. She could not hold all of it in any longer. That was the first time her powers were unleashed, and she realized she was a witch. Her father was instantly killed; his soul left his body before it hit the dark earth.  
  
Mayumi, although confused at her own actions, rushed over in a panic, to sit beside her dying mother. Mayumi cried, but her mother wiped her tears, and held her hands.  
  
"Mayumi, I want you to have this."  
  
Nanami was pointing to her amulet around her neck.  
  
"It is what has been keeping me young for so long. My immortal amulet. I want you to have it."  
  
"But, mom," Mayumi said. "If I take it from around your neck, you will surely die."  
  
"It doesn't matter, my Mayumi. My time has come. Please take it. You must."  
  
Mayumi saw her mother's desperation in her fading eyes. She removed it from around Nanami's neck with drastic hesitation. But when she did, Nanami became frail and weak; all of her beauty and self was drained from her body.  
  
"My Mayumi, please use your powers to make me happy."  
  
Then, Nanami slowly closed her eyes, and died.  
  
Mayumi mourned for her mother for days. She suffered greatly; her lamentation could never be removed.  
  
"Mother," Mayumi said. "I will avenge you."  
  
Mayumi began trying to develop her powers of witchcraft. She eventually became very powerful, but also shut herself off from the world. She vowed that she would grow powerful enough to destroy all humans.  
  
"Father was human," Mayumi said. "He was mortal. All humans are like that. They kill the living, and their hearts are only filled with dark hate for one another."  
  
As days passed, Mayumi began to wear her mother's amulet. She was unsure if it would work its powers or not. But either way, her mother wanted her to have it, and she would never throw it away.  
  
Mayumi eventually wore it every day, and she never did grow old. She remained the same; nineteen years old, and with the same face as when that night occurred. When the moon was three quarters full, a shooting star was seen, and an ironic ominous wind brushed through quickly. 


	10. Lost Myoga's Trek

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Lost Myoga's Trek  
  
Myoga was awakened by a sudden gust of evening wind. He reluctantly opened his eyes; his senses eventually recovering from the deep slumber, induced by Momoko's mystical mist. The leaves of the forest rattled violently.  
  
"What? Lord Inuyasha?" Myoga wondered sleepily. "Where has everybody gone? Don't tell me they left without me!"  
  
Myoga began to hop through the forest hastily, seeking out Inuyasha and the others.  
  
Meanwhile, in the village, everyone was heading back to their houses to eat dinner; they had just finished Lady Kaede's burial, and had said their final farewells. Because of this, everyone was very somber, each person leaving something at Lady Kaede's grave, such as beads or luscious fruits. Shouta's mother and father were very angry that Shouta didn't show up to the burial; they thought he might have been out playing, when he should've shown some respect.  
  
"Where is Shouta? He knew we were going to have Lady Kaede's burial! Where is he?"  
  
Momoko's mother was concerned; Momoko would have surely come to Lady Kaede's burial, now matter how busy she was.  
  
"Where is that hardworking daughter of mine?"  
  
In the forest, Myoga was still frantically searching for the others.  
  
"Where could they have gone? How long was I asleep? Why was I even asleep for that matter?"  
  
The moon eventually set in, and nestled itself in the starry sky. Shouta's parents were beginning to worry now, about Shouta's safety.  
  
"Where is he? Where could he have gone? Do you think he went in the forest and got lost?" Shouta's mother asked his dad.  
  
"I don't think so. Shouta is more responsible than that. He would know better. I think I should go look for him," Shouta's father said.  
  
Shouta's dad stood up and exited their house.  
  
Meanwhile, Myoga had just reached the outskirts of the dark forest, and saw the village, beyond the lush plains of vegetables.  
  
"Maybe Lord Inuyasha returned to the village?" he thought. "No, not Lord Inuyasha. He would be still searching for Kagome, until he found her. Well, I might as well rest for now, and maybe catch a bite to eat."  
  
Myoga began hopping excitedly, intent on returning to the village.  
  
Momoko's elderly mother was getting ready to go to bed. She was very tired.  
  
"My age is really taking a toll on me these days," she said with a yawn. "I hope my daughter is okay. She's so overworked! Probably washing clothes. She needs more rest than I do."  
  
Momoko's mother got into bed and said a few prayers for her daughter.  
  
Shouta's father approached the entrance to the forest; Shouta was nowhere to be found.  
  
"It was probably those demons that Shouta was talking to," he said. "They probably kidnapped him! I knew that mutt was trouble from the start!"  
  
He started running blindly, fearing for his son's life.  
  
Myoga had just reached the village. He set about searching for a bite to eat. He hopped over to Momoko's house, and entered, silence springing forth stealthily. Only a few light snores were heard, it was Momoko's mother.  
  
"Ah! Dinner!" the flea said with a huge appetite.  
  
Myoga hopped upon the mom's small bed and dove straight at her right cheek. He then began sucking it profusely so that he got a taste of her blood, until a giant hand fell upon him. He was smashed.  
  
Momoko's mother woke with a slow, sleepy start.  
  
"What?"  
  
She felt her cheek; it was really itchy. Myoga remained pulped in her palm.  
  
"Uh. Didn't even stand a chance," he said.  
  
"What? Who's that?" Momoko's mother wondered, and she looked at her palm.  
  
"Uh."  
  
"Huh? A bug?"  
  
"A flea demon to be precise," Myoga told her, while trying to recover from his injuries.  
  
"Ah! Demon!" she cried, and flung Myoga across the room.  
  
"Uh," he landed harshly.  
  
"Demon!" she yelled again. "DEMON!"  
  
Some villagers were awakened by her screams of demonic dismay.  
  
"DEMON!"  
  
"Please, mam, I didn't wish to..."  
  
"DEMON!"  
  
Villagers came to Momoko's house to see what the commotion was about.  
  
"What is going on?" a man asked, while Momoko's mother was cowering in fear.  
  
"DEMON!"  
  
"What? A demon?"  
  
Daisuke, the healer, approached the tiny crowd forming at Momoko's abode.  
  
"What is happening?"  
  
"A demon!" Momoko's mother caught her breath. "A flea demon!"  
  
The crowd saw Myoga scurrying to get their attention.  
  
"Down here!" he called.  
  
"Oh, that little thing," a man said. "Here, stand back."  
  
The man picked up his foot and squashed Myoga.  
  
"Oh, thank you," Momoko's mom said with relief. "I'm sorry, I hate demons. They are frightening."  
  
Shouta's mother pushed through the crowd and consoled Momoko's mom.  
  
"It's okay."  
  
A woman within the crowd told them about her great fear of demons.  
  
"The poor dear, she has been frightened of demons ever since that day when Momoko was attacked."  
  
"Hey, where is Momoko?" someone asked.  
  
"I don't know," Momoko's mother sobbed. "I thought she was out working. But maybe the demons took her away!"  
  
"What?"  
  
Myoga began to stir. The same man attempted to squash him again.  
  
"Please, not again..."  
  
"Wait! Do not squash the flea!" Daisuke stopped the man. "This is the wise Myoga! It has been a long time, Myoga."  
  
"What?"  
  
Myoga stood up.  
  
"Yes, it has, Daisuke. I heard you were going to bury Lady Kaede."  
  
"Yes, we already did."  
  
"Wait. You know this demon?" someone asked Daisuke.  
  
"Why, yes. It is Myoga. Tell us, Myoga, how goes your travels?"  
  
"Well, firstly, I am sorry that I caused such a ruckus, but I meant no harm. I am Myoga, the flea demon, as Lord Daisuke said, at your service."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I was traveling with Inuyasha and the others through the forest, when I suddenly got separated from them. We were searching for Lady Kagome and Lady Momoko."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I believe that they were kidnapped. They have been missing for a long time now."  
  
"My daughter?" Momoko's mom shrieked. "It was those demons!"  
  
"No, no, my lady. We, as in Lord Inuyasha, Shippo, Shouta, and I, were searching for them..."  
  
"You know where my son, Shouta is?" Shouta's mom asked. "Where is he?"  
  
"I do not know now, my lady," Myoga replied. "I got lost. They could be anywhere now."  
  
"I don't know, can we trust this flea?" someone wondered.  
  
"Yes, we can," Daisuke said. "This is the wise Myoga, after all."  
  
Everyone eventually agreed and trusted Daisuke's word. They listened to Myoga's story.  
  
"We had set out to search for Lady Kagome and Lady Momoko. We traveled through the forest for a while, when we decided to rest. Then, quite suddenly, a mist surrounded us, and the rest is all a blank."  
  
"Hm. Interesting," Daisuke said.  
  
"What about my son?" Shouta's mom asked. "My husband already set out for the forest to find him."  
  
"My lady, wherever Master Shouta is, I'm sure he is alright," Myoga said. "He is with Lord Inuyasha; he is well protected. But I'm afraid your husband is not. There could be many demons in the forest, as well as that sleeping mist."  
  
"I suggest we form a formidable search party," Daisuke said.  
  
Everyone agreed, and a search party of Daisuke, twelve other villagers, Shouta's mom, and Myoga approached the deep darkness of the forest. 


	11. Strong Awakening

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Strong Awakening  
  
Inuyasha found himself on plains of shining, however, bizarre beauty. The grass was swaying in the wind, with tiny drops of dew atop each strand. A stream nearby was serenely flowing and passing over smooth stones and pebbles. At the brink, where the water hit the land, large ice crystals stood like marvelous edifices, reflecting the sun's valiant rays. The scenery seemed chimerical.  
  
"Where am I?" Inuyasha asked himself. "What happened?"  
  
He began walking toward the stream, where he decided to dip his hands in and take a drink of the pure water. When he put his palms in, he immediately took them back out, for the water was scorching hot.  
  
"Ah!"  
  
He rubbed his burnt hands.  
  
"What is this place?"  
  
Inuyasha eventually started walking again, contemplating about what had happened.  
  
"I don't get it. How did I end up here anyway?"  
  
He kept walking, on the lush and peculiar plains.  
  
Meanwhile, Mayumi was diligently mixing her empowering potion for the jewel shards.  
  
"The time will be soon enough. Once the potion is done mixing and brewing, I will be able to avenge mother. At long last."  
  
The jewel shards were now in the concoction, swirling around powerfully, like the zealous vengeance in Mayumi's eyes.  
  
Kagome was still wandering through the forest, fatigued and aching. Her panic led her blindly from the trees of fog, and kept leading her until she dropped from exhaustion.  
  
"Inuyasha...I got a shard. All by myself..."  
  
She closed her eyes for a while and rested.  
  
Inuyasha was still sauntering on the endless plains. He didn't realize what was happening. He tried to make sense of it.  
  
"Where am I? One second I was in chains, Kagome was too, and that witch, Mayumi was the one that was behind all of it, and that Momoko killed Lady Kaede, and...but what happened?"  
  
Suddenly, the vast plains ended, and Inuyasha came to a cliff. He looked out on the horizon, but only saw blue sky. He peered down, and saw that the drop from the cliff seemed to be perpetual. But before he even noticed, the lush plains and grass strands of dew faded beneath his feet, and he fell down into the unending abyss below.  
  
Kagome roused herself and began to walk again. She didn't know what to do. She was lost, and didn't even know how she got there to begin with. Her body was too tired to panic anymore; she now endured the feeling of internal despair.  
  
"Inuyasha..."  
  
She sluggishly hit her ankle on another tree root. Her aching body did not feel the pain, only the sudden pressure. She noticed it, and looked up at the tree from which it protruded. It was the sacred tree. The tree that Inuyasha was sealed to by Kikyo 50 years ago. She recognized it immediately, even in her enfeebled state.  
  
"The tree?"  
  
Kagome then heard an abrupt rustling sound. It came from the bushes.  
  
"What?"  
  
A shadowy figure glanced out, and then, revealed himself. It was Inuyasha.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
But before Kagome could get closer, Inuyasha armed himself. He had a full quiver of arrows, and a gallant bow. It resembled Kikyo's. He pulled the bow taut, and pointed the arrow's tip, directly at Kagome's heart.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
Kagome looked at Inuyasha. His eyes were uncanny and unwavering. He wore a facial expression not familiar to her.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
The arrow was shot through the air. It caught her right in the chest, and nailed her to the sacred tree. She was immobilized.  
  
"Inuyasha? Why did you do this?" Kagome cried.  
  
She looked into his eyes.  
  
"Why? Inuyasha? How come you did this to me?" she thought to herself. "I don't understand. Inuyasha...how come?"  
  
Kagome again noticed the strange look in Inuyasha's eyes.  
  
"Inuyasha...you would never do this. You wouldn't...you wouldn't kill me. You always protected me, with your own life. Is that you, Inuyasha?"  
  
She now didn't recognize him at all.  
  
"This can't be. Inuyasha, you would never do this to me..."  
  
Mayumi's spell was broken. Kagome had finally awakened from the deep slumber.  
  
Mayumi was finishing mixing the potion, the jewel shards now gleaming with power. She noticed the disoriented Kagome.  
  
"You're awake?!? But how?"  
  
Kagome was still in a very muddled state, and was not totally conscious of her surroundings.  
  
"No matter," Mayumi said. "It is no longer important. The jewel shards will soon be complete."  
  
Kagome was slowly coming to. She became aware of the shackles holding her down.  
  
"Where...where am I?"  
  
She looked around. She saw Inuyasha in chains as well.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
Kagome turned her head and noticed the bloody body of Momoko, and the conniving Mayumi, watching the potion meticulously.  
  
"Huh?!? Who are you?"  
  
Mayumi reluctantly turned her attention to Kagome.  
  
"I am Mayumi, the witch. And you, mere mortal girl, are soon to witness the destruction of all humanity."  
  
Kagome looked at the helpless Inuyasha. Her mind was then immediately unclouded and focused. Inuyasha's danger had dispelled her ephemeral blurriness.  
  
"What have you done to Inuyasha?"  
  
"He is under a sleeping spell. I locked your other purposeless friends away so that they wouldn't interrupt."  
  
"Interrupt what?"  
  
"Interrupt my potion. I had to mix this potion to enhance the jewel shards' power. I thank you, girl, for them, for they will finally aid me in my life's goal. To destroy the entire rancid race of humans."  
  
Kagome gasped. She saw the jewel shards' familiar glow shining from the mixing urn.  
  
"The shards! Give them back!"  
  
"You present a unique valor, mortal Kagome," Mayumi said. "An unusual valor that I have not once associated with normal humans."  
  
"Where am I? How did you bring me here anyway?!?" Kagome screamed. "Let me go!"  
  
"Now, relax, mortal girl, or I will have to put you under another spell."  
  
"What?!?"  
  
"You were asleep. As is with Inuyasha. You were simply in a deep dreaming state before. All that happened was a mere illusion that your mind conjured itself."  
  
"You mean...all that happened in the forest? And when Inuyasha...pinned me to the tree...I knew it couldn't be real. I knew it couldn't happen. Inuyasha..."  
  
She glanced over at the bound Inuyasha.  
  
"You did all this to us?"  
  
"No, Kagome. I knew my initial goal required assistance. Thus, I got an assistant."  
  
Mayumi pointed at the mangled Momoko. Kagome let out a slight shriek. She had noticed Momoko before, but didn't draw her attention to the unmoving body due to her once temporary befuddled state.  
  
"I used the clever Momoko as a puppet in order to capture you and your friends. Although before, a very kind and compassionate woman, she later was transformed into a homicidal, shrewd shadow that followed my every order. My order being: capturing you and the shards. And I told her to be stealthy, and she was stealthy. I told her to steal the shards by any stealthy means necessary, and thus, she was forced to assassinate the intervening Lady Kaede. This proved to me how very gullible, primal, and horrific humans can be. They can be swayed and tainted so easily. Kindhearted Momoko: contorted into a terror of the night. I had to kill her afterward. She was human. And thus, being human, I could not trust her no longer," Mayumi told Kagome.  
  
"You cruel witch," Kagome cried.  
  
She looked over at Inuyasha again. He was still asleep.  
  
Inuyasha found himself drifting slowly down the pit below. A shining light engulfed him as he fell like a feather.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
The rays of light around him pierced his eyes like millions of sharp needles.  
  
"Ah! How did I get here? Is this hell?"  
  
He immediately realized what was happening.  
  
"That Mayumi witch! She did this! She did everything!"  
  
The sleeping spell was immediately dispelled. He woke up.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Inuyasha was in an addled state.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
Kagome's voice shook him out of bewilderment.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
"You're awake also, Inuyasha?!?" Mayumi wondered. "You both seem to have an incredible will, or just incredible fortune to unwrap yourselves from the grasp of my magic."  
  
"Damn you, Mayumi!" Inuyasha screamed. "You did all of this! You killed Kaede. You kidnapped Kagome, and you..."  
  
Inuyasha noticed the maimed Momoko.  
  
"Yes, I did all of that," Mayumi admitted. "But only to get to my goal. My life's purpose. To destroy all this world's humans!"  
  
A faint voice intervened.  
  
"And you killed your best friend..."  
  
It was Momoko. She only had a short thread of life left.  
  
"Momoko?"  
  
Mayumi turned around and looked at her. Momoko's eyes were enervated. Her soul was slowly slipping away.  
  
"I wanted to repay you, Lady Mayumi. For saving me. But I thought you would eventually let me start a friendship with you. Not be your servant. I always had that hope that you would. But you didn't. You never did. You were always my hero, Lady Mayumi. But now, that I know...the truth...I can rest..."  
  
Momoko closed her eyes.  
  
"Damn you, witch! Killing your own allies! You're ruthless!" Inuyasha screamed. "I'll rip you!"  
  
Inuyasha pulled at the chains binding him.  
  
"My goal in life is to destroy humans. All humans. They are all the same," Mayumi said with an unwavering voice.  
  
Suddenly, the jewel shards' glow gave off some sparks from the urn.  
  
"The shards are nearly complete," Mayumi said. "And I will finally have vengeance."  
  
Inuyasha kept pulling with all his might. His eyes of determination and will didn't affect Mayumi. She knew he could never break her enchanted chains.  
  
Abruptly however, a crumbling and snapping noise threatened her assurance. Inuyasha had broken free. 


	12. Illusions and Incantations

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Illusions and Incantations  
  
Inuyasha leapt at the astonished Mayumi.  
  
"Damn you! This is for Momoko!"  
  
Mayumi reacted quickly. It was in her nature to have a fast reflex, due to her constant focus and clear mind. She waved her left hand, and a mystical wind blew through. It not only blew through the room, but through Inuyasha's mind as well.  
  
Cumulus clouds gathered and surrounded them. Fog appeared, and the chained Kagome disappeared through the thickness.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Inuyasha mumbled.  
  
Mayumi appeared through the strange fog. Inuyasha jumped up, and attempted to swipe at her with his claws, but she vanished.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
She reappeared once again, except at a different location.  
  
"What the?"  
  
Inuyasha kept trying to attack Mayumi, but at each attempt, she disappeared. Inuyasha was clawing at only the air.  
  
"Inuyasha, what are you doing?!? She's over there!" Kagome yelled to him.  
  
But, he didn't seem to hear her. He kept swiping at nothing. There was no fog, nor cloudiness. There was also no disappearing Mayumi. It was an illusion.  
  
Mayumi was standing impassively, observing the determined Inuyasha and his futile assaults.  
  
"You, witch!" Kagome screamed.  
  
Mayumi ignored Kagome.  
  
"Die!" Inuyasha cried, at the illusory Mayumi.  
  
He continued to tear the air with his iron claws.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled. "Inuyasha!"  
  
Mayumi turned her attention to Kagome for a few seconds.  
  
"He cannot hear you, mortal girl..."  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha discovered the actual Mayumi. By sheer fortune, Inuyasha had slashed the real Mayumi as she stood stasis, reacting to Kagome's shouting. The illusion dissipated, as Mayumi fell to the ground, severely maimed.  
  
"Got you, witch," Inuyasha said.  
  
Mayumi slowly stood up.  
  
"You shall die now. No more waiting. I do not need the shards. I shall kill you now, Inuyasha."  
  
Mayumi recovered, leapt up, and remained floating. She put her palms together, as if in prayer, and began to recite a mantra. She mumbled it lowly. Very slowly, light began to emanate from her palms.  
  
"What the hell?"  
  
Abruptly, Mayumi opened her hands, and a bolt of light shot through the air like a poisonous arrow. It flew at Inuyasha. He leapt up, and evaded it, the bolt narrowly missing his side. It ricocheted off the wall, and reflected back at him. It caught him right in the back.  
  
It pierced his skin easily and quickly. It stung like a monstrous wasp. Inuyasha's blood sprung forth from the sting, spraying through the quiet air.  
  
Inuyasha was stunned for a few seconds, but he remained standing in a stance of intrepid demeanor.  
  
"I do not need the shards to kill you," Mayumi said.  
  
She emitted a stronger blast of light on the weakened Inuyasha. Inuyasha didn't have time to avoid it. It hit him directly in the chest, and pushed him back.  
  
"Ugh..."  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried.  
  
"Will it be this easy to destroy all mortals?" Mayumi wondered. "Perhaps I've overestimated you."  
  
Inuyasha stood up, gathering the remainder of his energy. He reached for the Tetsusaiga, but noticed it was not in its scabbard.  
  
"What the? Tetsusaiga..."  
  
Inuyasha then realized that he had left it in the village, with Daisuke.  
  
"Ugh. Damn it..."  
  
"I wish for all humanity to feel pain," Mayumi said. "Sins will be your undoing!"  
  
Mayumi released another blast of light, but this time, it was aimed precisely at Kagome. Inuyasha took notice, and placed himself as her shield.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
The light hit Inuyasha once again. He endured the crippling pain. Each time, it grew more and more excruciating.  
  
"Ugh...Kagome..."  
  
Inuyasha fell to the ground. He was thrown into a state of unconsciousness.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
Suddenly, there was a flash of light that emanated from the mixing urn. Mayumi saw it.  
  
"The time. It is now. For the destruction of humanity."  
  
The empowering potion was complete. The jewel shards gave off the shocking light. They had reached the highest pinnacle of power. 


	13. Momoko, Medium of Nanami

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Momoko, Medium of Nanami  
  
The dark room was alit from the glow of the powerful sparks. The light from the urn blinded Kagome. Mayumi covered her eyes and reached in the urn for the empowered shards.  
  
"The time is now."  
  
Suddenly, there was a voice. A voice familiar to Mayumi's ears. A voice of an enticing siren.  
  
"Mayumi..."  
  
Mayumi turned away from the urn and the brilliant rays of light. She dropped the shards back into the potion when she beheld a mystical sight.  
  
It was Momoko. She was hovering off the ground, stasis in midair. Her body gave off a holy-like aura. Her once short hair had changed into flowing white tresses that almost touched the earth. She opened her eyes, and Mayumi let out a shriek.  
  
"Is that...you, mother?"  
  
"Yes, Mayumi," the possessed Momoko said. "But I'm afraid I cannot stay long. My spirit has possessed the dying body of Momoko. She is on the verge of death, the pivotal time in which dead spirits can project themselves into dying bodies. Once she dies, I will have to leave."  
  
"Mother..."  
  
"Please, Mayumi. Listen to me. I wanted to tell you this, but I never could."  
  
"What is it, mother?"  
  
"It is about your father. When he ended my life on that night, and left you a lost orphan, he wasn't himself. There was something wrong with him."  
  
"What, mother?"  
  
"You see, Mayumi, your father had something wrong with his mind. It was said that his mind had been possessed by an evil specter at birth. But I had loved him for himself, not for his unfortunate mind. I loved him for his kindness and compassion. He seemed to have the specter under control, but then, that one night; he couldn't suppress it any longer. I knew it wasn't he who had killed me. But then after, when you discovered your uncanny powers that night, you killed him. I don't blame you for his death, Mayumi; perhaps it was inevitable. But I wanted to live longer to stay with you. I wanted to help you through the drastic changes. Help you deal with your witchcraft. But I knew I couldn't. My amulet couldn't let me live after I was mortally wounded. That is why I bequeathed the amulet to you. I believed in you; that you would do good."  
  
"Mother..."  
  
"I had faith in you..."  
  
"Mother, I swore to avenge you. I swore to myself that I would devote my life to avenging your death. By destroying the cause: humans."  
  
"Humans?"  
  
"Yes, mother. Now, that I possess the jewel shards, I will..."  
  
"No, my Mayumi. Your father was human. He allowed me to discover what humans were, what they lived on. Their soul. Their soul of purity and intense will. Their soul of unyielding hope and kindness. That is what I learned, and that is why I loved your father so tenderly."  
  
"Mother..."  
  
"I believed in you, Mayumi, to help others with your gift. But I was mistaken, for I now see that your powers have tainted you and corrupted your soul. I wanted to be with you, Mayumi, to help you. I knew you would be alone. Without anyone to guide you. But all I could do was hope, and yet, I was saddened with despair. It seems so paradoxical, but now I know the truth, and what has become of my Mayumi."  
  
"Mother...I...didn't know..."  
  
"Ugh. I am sorry, Mayumi...but...I must go."  
  
The celestial light faded. The angelic locks of Nanami disappeared, along with her voice. The body was transformed back into the cadaverous, maimed Momoko. Momoko's eyes closed one final time, and she died.  
  
"Mother..."  
  
Inuyasha awakened from his perceptual numbness, coming back into consciousness.  
  
"What..."  
  
"Mother," Mayumi sobbed. "I am sorry."  
  
There was a minute of intense and agonizing silence, but was interrupted by a gentle cry. Mayumi's eyes became watery.  
  
"How could I be so blind?" Mayumi said. "I haven't even experienced life outside this room, nor associated with any humans except tainted father. How could I?"  
  
Mayumi cried silently.  
  
"I don't even deserve to live any longer. All these years. I have been terribly mistaken. I've become immortal, and yet I have no knowledge. Why, mother? Why did you leave me? You left me a mislead orphan without anyone. How could this be?"  
  
Inuyasha remained silent. He knew he shouldn't say anything. It was a poignant scene, and Kagome was silent as well. He stood near Kagome.  
  
"I have been mistaken, mother. I am sorry. For all these years, my mind has become pierced with vindictiveness and utter vengeance. I know you will forgive me. And I wish, with all my heart and soul, to begin anew."  
  
Mayumi held the amulet of immortality tightly in her hands. There was a sudden, conspicuous change in her. Her eyes had an unusual look of determination and will. With that, she pushed the mixing urn over, onto the floor. Its contents spilled over the old earth, and the radiant jewel shards floated along with the mixture, like weightless feathers meandering a river, where they reached Inuyasha's feet. 


	14. Perceptual Shift

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Perceptual Shift  
  
Inuyasha picked up the empowered jewel shards. Their radiant light was as powerful as the sun's bright rays.  
  
"Mother, I have been mistaken," Mayumi said. "But now I know the truth. And I will keep my promise by avenging you and father's death. For now it is all clear to me. I must destroy the demons that tainted father's mind. It was the demons' evil that caused your death and our perpetual separation. I know what I must do."  
  
Meanwhile, in an intensely dark part of the forest, the crowd of villagers had managed to locate Shouta's dad. He was unharmed; he was resting for a moment by a fire he had started.  
  
"Honey, you're alright," Shouta's mom said while embracing him.  
  
Myoga sniffed the area for a scent of familiar blood.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"How will we find them in this forest?" Daisuke pondered.  
  
Daisuke held the Tetsusaiga up in his hand and mused.  
  
"Hm..."  
  
Suddenly, there was a foreboding zephyr that pressed against the villagers' faces. A look of terror appeared across Daisuke's face.  
  
"Demons!"  
  
Silhouettes materialized out of the darkness; they were dark bat demons. They made a piercing screech that destroyed the silence of the night. Two of them assailed the nearby Daisuke, who had noticed even beforehand. He reacted with the rapier blade of the Tetsusaiga, and managed to slice the two. They dropped to the ground with a slight thud; their comrades fled from fright.  
  
"They're gone," Daisuke said.  
  
Inuyasha held the jewel shards in his palm. There was only three, but their power was incredibly immense.  
  
"I will avenge you," Mayumi mumbled. "I will use my powers to do good."  
  
Inuyasha, noticing Mayumi was lost in deep thought, stealthily endeavored to free Kagome. Mayumi, however, abruptly realized what he was doing when the soft clink of a link of a chain sounded. Mayumi looked up at them.  
  
"I will become a demon hunter, mother," Mayumi said, still looking at Inuyasha. "And I will destroy the demons that caused your demise, and father's poisoning."  
  
Mayumi shed a silent tear.  
  
"I will begin by slaying, you, half-demon, Inuyasha!"  
  
Mayumi then glowed with a powerful, unholy light. She was searing with internal anguish and was thrown into a hysterical frenzy. She rose up into the air, and began to chant very loudly. Her being's aura was awesome; it had almost been equal to that of the powerful shards.  
  
"Die, demon! May your soul be exorcized to hell!"  
  
A light emanated from Mayumi's hand once more, and was released. It hurled toward Inuyasha uncontrollably; it flew in a berserk fashion as Mayumi's mind had raced. Inuyasha leapt out of the range of the blast; the wall next to him however, crumbled in that instant. The explosion had almost gotten Kagome; she remained in chains nearby. Mayumi's blast, from her own magic, had dispelled the bewitchment upon her shack. It lost its protective veil of darkness; it was now visible to the naked eye.  
  
The crowd of villagers heard the explosion and ran towards the sound. They found Mayumi's newly open shack with a missing wall. It was never before seen by any humans due to its powerful magic, created by Mayumi. But now, it had lost its veil. It was exposed.  
  
"What is this?" the villagers wondered.  
  
Mayumi noticed the crowd of villagers, but remained focused on Inuyasha. She had broken inside like her father, although the source of it wasn't demons, but her own everlasting angst.  
  
"Give me the jewel shards, you damned demon!"  
  
Mayumi launched another bolt of energy at Inuyasha. This time, however, it caught him in the leg. He was thrown out into the darkness of the forest. Mayumi pursued him, hovering determinedly and exiting through the hole in the side of the shack. Kagome watched, still shackled in the enchanted chains, as the battle ensued. She observed from mammoth hole in the wall.  
  
"Damn it," Inuyasha said, wiping blood from his mouth.  
  
The awestruck crowd was about to flee, when Daisuke intervened.  
  
"A witch!" he cried. "A witch! Inuyasha, here is your sword!"  
  
Daisuke threw the Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha. It landed next to him.  
  
"Tetsusaiga!"  
  
Inuyasha stood up in a stance of gallantry, and the Tetsusaiga grew. His eyes swayed from enervated to determined. He pointed the Tetsusaiga at Mayumi.  
  
"This is the murderer," he told the crowd. "Mayumi, the witch."  
  
Mayumi ignored Inuyasha's words, for her mind was discolored and driven by insuppressible desire to kill him. Hatred clouded her heart, and encircled her being. Her soul was now infected with insanity.  
  
Mayumi fired blasts of light haphazardly. The forest eventually became alit from the sundry, random explosions.  
  
"Die! Wretched demons!!!"  
  
Her body gave off harsh palpitations of light now, releasing as flowing orbs.  
  
Daisuke was suddenly struck with enlightenment.  
  
"I hope this works," he said to himself.  
  
He began sprinkling various herbs around, and mumbling words of mantra. He held some petals in his hand.  
  
"Demons, you will die!" Mayumi cried.  
  
Suddenly, Mayumi released the explosion that was being suppressed inside of her. Its sound could have burst the eardrum, and its light could have blinded the keenest of eyes. But it didn't; it was futile. No demons were ostracized to hell, or any humans. Everyone remained unharmed, as the aftermath of the explosion subsided. 


	15. The Shattered Amulet

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 15  
  
The Shattered Amulet  
  
The brightness of the explosion faded, the wind ceasing. Everyone remained unhurt, although stunned for a moment due to the awesome spectacle of the blast. Mayumi was seen tired and panting, enduring the fatigue.  
  
"I will...kill...the demons..."  
  
Everyone didn't understand why the immense blast did not pose a threat to their lives.  
  
"It worked," Daisuke spoke. "My protective spell worked."  
  
The crowd remained watching Mayumi.  
  
"Demons..."  
  
Suddenly, without warning or hesitation, Mayumi flicked her wrist. An unusual wind picked up, and brushed by. It swirled around Inuyasha, like a powerful swarm of wrathful wasps. Inuyasha used the Tetsusaiga to hold himself to the ground. But it soon did not matter, for he was somewhere else.  
  
Nothing was around. Everyone was gone; Inuyasha was in a void of nothingness. He hovered, looked around. Complete silence. Nothing. He couldn't move. Abruptly however, the eerie silence was interrupted. It was Kagome.  
  
"Inuyasha..."  
  
He turned around, and there stood the unusually gleeful Kagome.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
She smiled, and floated over to him.  
  
"Inuyasha, you got the shards back, right?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"May I see them?"  
  
He held them out for her to take. She grabbed them hastily.  
  
"Thank you," she grinned.  
  
Suddenly, the void became distorted and Inuyasha was back in the forest, with the crowd gaping at what had just happened. Mayumi had somehow obtained the shards.  
  
"Thank you, Inuyasha," she said, smiling.  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
She had used another illusory trick to get them from him.  
  
"At long last, the jewel shards," Mayumi said.  
  
She held up the three shards for all to see. She was amazed by their apparent power.  
  
"At last."  
  
Mayumi took a single shard, and pricked her skin with it. Blood trickled out from her arm. Then, with a determined swoop, she injected and embedded the shard in her arm fully. Blood oozed profusely for a while, but healed. It was a splendor.  
  
She then took the second shard in hand, and shoved it deeply in her back. The two shards shone with an intimidating light. The crowd was in awe, but Inuyasha realized that it was worse to just remain planted and stand gawking. He adjusted the Tetsusaiga, and was about to jump for a sweep of the sword.  
  
But then, Mayumi took the final third shard, and swallowed it, with a single gulp. She ingested it; the crowd began to cower, most of them fleeing in fright.  
  
"No!" Kagome screamed. "Inuyasha!"  
  
Inuyasha was already in midair, when the empowered jewels were finally morphing Mayumi. Her body gave off a brilliant, blinding light, as Inuyasha was pushed back, landing on the ground in a staggered, but readied stance.  
  
"Damn it."  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed in alarm.  
  
The only people that remained of the small crowd were Daisuke, Myoga, and Shouta's father. The others all ran from terror. They knew the dangerous and evil powers of the jewel.  
  
"Demons..." the transformed Mayumi said. "They will all die."  
  
The jewel shards and Mayumi's aura combined, creating an extreme luminosity. Kagome covered her eyes. Inuyasha's heart began to beat severely in his chest. Myoga was cowering, about to flee. Daisuke, although worried, was deep in thought, thinking. Shouta's father stood a good distance off, overwhelmed by the light.  
  
The light slowly died, and Mayumi became easier to discern. The amulet around her neck gleamed ominously, as she stood stasis in air, still as a rock planted in earth. Her eyes glowed with a powerful and vengeful expression. Kagome could still see and detect the shards within her, although the light was now gone. The single shard in her right arm, the one embedded in her back, and the ingested shard all seemed to radiate from within.  
  
Silence became threatening, as Mayumi remained still. She eventually looked into Inuyasha's eyes. Although no movement from her mouth or face, Mayumi's eyes held her agony and hatred, becoming extremely violent and stormy.  
  
But the silence was soon shattered. Not by words, but by sounds of power. Mayumi released huge orbs of her power, which came crashing down to the earth, like grand lightning. Inuyasha could not avoid it; her power was supreme. He took the blow, enduring the seemingly perpetual pain, and landed harshly.  
  
His will aided him and helped him up, but only that would not suffice for long. He stood, clutching the Tetsusaiga, and charged head-on, at Mayumi. He slashed at her from above, which caught her in the shoulder. It cried a crimson creek, but she ignored it. Her angst and painful yearning for vengeance was more crippling.  
  
Daisuke beheld the battle from the side, and suddenly was struck with a bold idea. He rushed over to the helpless Kagome, and began to sprinkle special herbs and petals on the enchanted chains.  
  
"What are you doing?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Shhh, don't draw attention," Daisuke whispered.  
  
He mumbled a few words of mantra once again, now more confident in his ability to cast spells. The chains, however, were bound by extremely powerful magic.  
  
"Inuyasha broke free somehow," Kagome told him. "I wish I knew how."  
  
The battle ensued; Mayumi seemed to have the upper hand. The powers of the jewel were hard to transcend. Inuyasha continued with the Tetsusaiga, however, successfully administering some nicks and wounds on Mayumi.  
  
"Vile demon, Inuyasha," Mayumi said. "I shall kill you and avenge my parents' unfortunate demises, and my eternal pain!"  
  
Wind soon began to pick up again. Inuyasha recognized it.  
  
"Damn it."  
  
He leapt at her again, but was knocked back forcefully by a gust.  
  
"I got to watch out for that wind," he told himself. "If she hits me with enough of it, I'll be caught in one of those illusions."  
  
Wind swirled around Mayumi like a vicious cyclone, and she commanded it to seep into Inuyasha's mind once again. Inuyasha evaded the various gusts, but then stood against Mayumi's tornado. She allowed it to free from her body and finally assail Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha realized he had to face it head-on. He mustered all the will and strength he could. He stored it inside of him, gathering and summoning slowly. It began to surge through his body, flowing with the rushing of his half-demon blood. It charged through him completely.  
  
He transferred all of this energy into the Tetsusaiga, and it grew with immeasurable power. He took the remainder of his strength and sliced through the tornado of illusions. He destroyed it.  
  
The wind dissipated, and Inuyasha stood with heavy fatigue weighing his body down, like boulders tied to his ankles. Mayumi floated, aghast.  
  
Meanwhile, Daisuke remained with Kagome, chanting his mantra diligently. He was determined to break the shackles. He soon gestured to Shouta's dad, who was still watching Inuyasha, to come and help dispel the bewitchment on the chains. Shouta's dad approached slowly and apprehensively at first, but then broke into a run. Myoga was nowhere to be found.  
  
"Repeat the mantra with me," Daisuke told him and Kagome. "It makes it more powerful."  
  
Thus, the three began to chant lowly and quietly. Soon, the spell began to work, with the heavy chains glowing an unusual color. They slowly withered away, as though a potent acid was eating at them. Kagome tried to break free, but they still remained too powerful. Abruptly however, sparks began to shoot from the weakest spots of the chains, and made loud clanking noises.  
  
Mayumi noticed what they were doing, and turned away from Inuyasha. It was this moment that Inuyasha timed perfectly and flawlessly, as he struck Mayumi down with a powerful slash of the Tetsusaiga. She bled salty scarlet, and this time, she was maimed drastically across her chest. She had to cease fighting, and tend to it. It bled uncontrollably.  
  
Then, there was another loud clank. Kagome had finally managed to break free from the eroded shackles.  
  
"Mayumi!" Kagome cried.  
  
She turned and looked at Kagome. She held her hands helplessly to her scarlet-stained chest.  
  
Kagome stood up into a powerful stance. She grabbed her bow in hand, and pulled out an arrow from her quiver. She held the arrow on the bow taut, and released it as a threatening bullet. It soared through the air, as Mayumi remained still, puzzled at its power and wonder. It was aimed straight for Mayumi, and connected with her, blazing at her injured chest.  
  
It impaled straight through her, and remained planted, embedded and stasis. It then began to glow from within her, as all stood marveling at the sight.  
  
"What is this?" Mayumi thought to herself.  
  
The jewel shards within her began to pulsate and change color to match the bright color of the arrow.  
  
"What?" Mayumi wondered. "The arrow is purifying the shards? But how?"  
  
Mayumi met eyes with Kagome.  
  
"That girl, Kagome," she thought. "She is, in fact, no mere mortal."  
  
The purifying power within Kagome's arrow was then released completely. There was an abrupt silent explosion, and the jewel shards were thus purged of their original tainted evil. Thus, Mayumi's angst and hatred could no longer feed on anything. She lost the power that the shards had given her, and transformed back to her normal state. She floated to the ground, kneeling, and panting painfully.  
  
"No," Mayumi said helplessly. "No, I must destroy the demons..."  
  
Inuyasha sheathed the Tetsusaiga and approached Mayumi.  
  
"Damn it, Mayumi," Inuyasha said. "Look at what you've done! Haven't you even noticed! You've killed humans!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"In case you didn't remember, you killed humans! You murdered Kaede, you destroyed Momoko ruthlessly, and now you want to kill demons? Do you just want to kill everyone?"  
  
Mayumi was taken aback by Inuyasha's words.  
  
"By hearing you talk to yourself, I can see you don't even know what the hell you're doing. Your mother tells you one thing, and then you assume something else. You don't know anything! And I'm sure what you're doing now, trying to slaughter everyone, won't please your mother or father at all!"  
  
Mayumi shed a tear. She realized he was right.  
  
The villagers were soon coming back again, aware the danger had passed.  
  
Mayumi began to cry hysterically.  
  
"Oh, mother, what have I done!" she sobbed. "I've killed so ruthlessly and blindly! I am so sorry..."  
  
She cried. Some of the villagers didn't know what to think, but Kagome seemed very sympathetic. Inuyasha was now indifferent, witnessing Mayumi breaking into tears.  
  
"I am sorry..."  
  
Mayumi continued to cry. Her amulet began to glow and shine, along with her tears. Her amulet was dipped in some of her own blood from the deep chest wound, and resembled a candy apple. The shine it gave off caught her attention. She looked at it a while, scrutinizing its intricate shape, and then was struck with a sudden change. Her tears stopped leaking, and her eyes began to focus.  
  
"Mother, help me," she said. "What is the right thing to do? What is good, mother?"  
  
She looked up into the high treetops of the forest, searching and listening for an answer. But she realized she wouldn't get one. She mused for a moment, closing her eyes. Then, with slight hesitation, she opened them once more, and a decisive expression came across her face.  
  
"Perhaps you could steer me, right from wrong, mother. Perhaps, maybe, you can show me..."  
  
Mayumi clutched the amulet close to her heart. She then, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, began to squeeze it. The amulet shone brilliantly, and began to crack. Light was expelled from the small openings, as the precious amulet of immortality crumbled in Mayumi's palm. 


	16. New Courses

*Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Mayumi, Shouta, Momoko, Daisuke, Kenta, and Nanami. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 16  
  
New Courses  
  
The amulet shattered into thousands of tiny fragments; quickly decomposing into the earth like cadaverous beings. Mayumi began to wither away, her body and face turning frail and cold. She looked above her, and saw that the moon appeared. It was three-quarters full, as a shooting star was seen traveling the sky, and an ironic ominous wind brushed through quickly, carrying her ashes away.  
  
The only remnants of her were the three jewel shards, which floated to the ground softly, like harmonious feathers. Mayumi's shack faded as well with the wind, brushing away like sand. Her powerful magic ceased and vanished.  
  
Shouta and Shippo were finally awakened and free from the confines of the shack. The villagers remained awed at the spectacle they had just beheld; Mayumi's decision. After a moment of intense silence, Inuyasha picked up the jewel shards from the ground and allowed Kagome to keep them. Shouta's mother embraced her son, however, scolded him repetitively for worrying her.  
  
At that time, different people felt different emotions. Inuyasha remained slightly indifferent and impassive, however, internally satisfied in obtaining the shards after all they endured. Daisuke thought that it was best, for everyone, that Mayumi was killed, even for Mayumi herself. The villagers all felt relief that danger had passed. Shippo and Shouta stood befuddled, for they were unconscious for most of the time, and had not experienced what everyone else did. Kagome felt a heavy sadness for Mayumi, and even a type of guilt. Soon, they all decided to leave the quiet forest, and return to the village.  
  
While meandering the depths of the forest and trying to reach an exit, Inuyasha informed everyone of what had happened; all he experienced.  
  
"So, Mayumi, this witch, was the one that killed Lady Kaede?" Shippo asked the musing Kagome.  
  
"Yes, Shippo," she told him. "But I feel really sad for her. From what Inuyasha said, she seemed to be corrupted just because she had no one. No family, no friends."  
  
"I don't know what I'd do without you guys."  
  
"Yeah, it's good not to be alone. Isn't it, Shippo?"  
  
They finally reached the outskirts of the village, when they caught eye of a small gathering of the villagers. They were clustered around a large clump of dirt that rested beside Lady Kaede's grave. One man had a muddy shovel in his hand, and the women next to him held a bouquet of flowers.  
  
The bigger crowd of Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, Shouta, Daisuke, Shouta's parents, and the twelve villagers approached the gathered crowd.  
  
"What happened?" Shouta's mother asked.  
  
"Momoko's mother," a gentle woman spoke. "She died."  
  
"What?" Daisuke wondered. "Of what?"  
  
"We don't know. I thought she was asleep at first, but then, she wasn't breathing..."  
  
"You already buried her?"  
  
"Yes. She looked unusually peaceful as we did."  
  
"It is a shame that I wasn't able to examine her."  
  
"We saw no marks anywhere on her," the woman continued. "Perhaps it was from old age."  
  
"No, I don't believe so."  
  
It was the voice of Myoga. He abruptly hopped on Inuyasha's shoulder, in a feeble attempt to suck some blood. Inuyasha reacted quickly however, and his attempt was thwarted.  
  
"Ugh."  
  
"Well, Myoga, you're back," Inuyasha said.  
  
"Yes, Lord Inuyasha," Myoga recovered. "Anyway, as I was saying before, I don't believe it was age that caused her death, but perhaps it was just her time to leave."  
  
"What the hell is the difference?"  
  
"Well, Lord Inuyasha, I've heard some deaths are caused because of blood links. But, of course, I'm not sure if that's the case here."  
  
There was a brief silence.  
  
"Well, how about an explanation, loyal Myoga?!? What are blood links?"  
  
"Pardon me to intervene," Daisuke said. "Myoga, I do believe your guess may be valid."  
  
"Thank you, Lord Daisuke," Myoga said. "Just here to help."  
  
"Blood links are deaths caused by a strong link to a relative. If that linked relative dies, the blood link breaks, causing the death of the other person linked," Daisuke explained. "And, from what Inuyasha has told us, about the death of Momoko, Momoko's mother might have died due to her daughter's horrific demise. That's what blood links cause. Although it can be controversial and arguable, even considered a myth, it stands out strong here."  
  
Everyone agreed.  
  
In the morning, they decided to hold a funeral-like ritual for Momoko and her mother. Although Momoko's body was not present, they still made her a grave beside her mother's. Flowers were laid, prayers were said, and the village cemetery suddenly appeared to be enormous.  
  
Shouta was finally reunited with his family, although his mother continued to scold him.  
  
"Shouta, how many times have I told you not to go by the forest?!? It's dangerous!"  
  
"I'm not Shouta! I'm Shoutayasha! Fear my claws of blood!" Shouta said, while flailing his arms, attempting to mimic Inuyasha.  
  
Shouta thoroughly enjoyed listening to Inuyasha's stories, and all of the adventures of capturing pieces of the jewel and triumphing over evil demons. Even after his experience of being captured, trapped, and concealed by dangerous magic, Shouta's sense of adventure and mischief continued to grow even stronger.  
  
Daisuke said his farewells to the villagers and everyone.  
  
"I must go now," he said. "Other villages need my medicinal expertise."  
  
They thanked him, Kagome especially for his remarkable rescue.  
  
"Thank you, Lord Daisuke," she said. "If you weren't there for us, we probably would be..."  
  
"It is okay, Kagome," he interrupted. "I actually didn't know if my spells would work or not. I must say I am very limited in that field. Perhaps I should pursue it further."  
  
Thus, Daisuke grabbed his bag, special tools, and herbs, and began to walk down the path, out of the village. Myoga the flea managed to catch up to him.  
  
"Lord Daisuke!" he called.  
  
Daisuke stopped and Myoga leapt onto his shoulder.  
  
"Why, Myoga. Are you troubled?"  
  
"No, my lord. I just thought I might ask a favor of you."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Well, your journeys seem to be very enlightening. Perhaps I could accompany you?"  
  
"Why, certainly, wise Myoga."  
  
Thus, they set off on a journey for knowledge and wisdom, into the strong rays of a new day.  
  
Inuyasha was renewed with his original anticipation and zeal of shard collecting, as the morning zephyr blew by with a bright vigor.  
  
"You ready, Kagome?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, in a second, Inuyasha," she said. "Just need to grab my stuff."  
  
She began to collect her clothes and other belongings, and packed them in her large yellow backpack. She had the three shards stored inside of a little satchel that Shouta's mother had given her. She paused and examined them for a moment in her hand. They gleamed with a reassuring spark; they told her something by this, and it made her smile.  
  
Mayumi was reunited with her family in the afterlife. Her mother had taught her many things, and answered every question she had. She was no longer lost, no longer alone. Her father had returned to normal; the demonic presence on him was lifted. Momoko forgave Mayumi for all that she did, and they quickly befriended each other. It was no longer confusing and no longer frustrating. There was no angst, no hatred. It was just serene, and purely blissful.  
  
Kagome's slight guilt and sadness was lifted, as she put the jewel shards in the satchel, and into a small pocket in her backpack. She exited the old and used abode, and told Shippo that they were leaving.  
  
"Already?" Shippo asked.  
  
"Yeah. You ready, Shippo?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. Let's say goodbye."  
  
Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo bid farewell to all the villagers, and they were thanked excessively. Thus, they set off down the road, with renewed eager hearts. But before long, Kagome walked and stopped directly in front of Inuyasha.  
  
"What do you want?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
She looked into his eyes for a moment, and then pulled him into a deep embrace.  
  
"Thanks, Inuyasha," she said.  
  
At that specific moment, Kagome could have sworn she had felt the three shards in her backpack shine with a new founded light. A spark of peacefulness, a shimmer of hope, and a gleam of contentment.  
  
End. 


End file.
